Southern Style Off-road blues

I have used them twice and no complaints. They basically just broker the deal with a third party.

 

I have to agree

 

Lack of communication in unacceptable unless they're dead.

 

That is what I do not get. I am more than willing to pay more to support local or small businesses that make a great product and I have. However, the expectation is for better service, better quality, and a better experience than a big box store or discounter might provide. There is also this weird idea that the delivery date of a product can be stretched out for months and if the customer does not like it then the customer is the unreasonable one.We are not dealing with a complex task. Welding a bumper from a template is not terribly difficult. Finding the skilled labor to do it and show up sober might be depending on a company`s culture. As far as backlog, if it can not be done within a reasonable time frame, don't take the job. And if a company is already on a three month lead time, why would they then run black Friday sales, flash sales, etc to further compound the problem. The best lesson I have learned in professional life is to under promise and over deliver. If "custom fabricators" want business without drama then run a business and not a hobby/lifestyle.

 

@SouthernStyleOffRoad 6 pages and 1 week of discussion, but I'm guessing they are too busy to have noticed this thread. I mean they are on lockdown so maybe in addtion to not being able to burn metal also means they can't access the internet even though they are working from home?

 

Carol Baskin

That’s the only explanation.

 

That bitch.

 

Careful, although it is Friday, the fun police are lurking.

 

Theres only so many ways you can make a bumper fit a specific vehicle. In any vehicle multiple companies have almost the same bumpers etc. Its just a few minor touches they add to change base design.

 

I agree. I am still baffled why Warn catches so much crap.

 

Cause they're a big company that copied a little guy's design and used their ability to order more in bulk to offer theirs at a cheaper price. Some people are fine with that, and others aren't.

 

No more of a copy than all of the othet bumpers that look nearly identical from big and small companies. Kind of like the plethora of trd pro wheel knock offs or pro grill knock offs. Close but not exact. Patents are also a good idea if one thinks it is proprietary.

 

Like some have said, most issues could have been resolved with more communication. I like to spend my money with small businesses because of the more intimate feel of the transaction. I'm sad to hear about OPs issues, but it seems like this could have been resolved with better communication. I find it ridiculous that during the time their shop is shut down they couldn't increase their ability to communicate. They should have MORE time now they aren't fabricating.

Hearing about situations like this is why I'm so glad to have found @SOS CONCEPTS. My experience with ordering a full plate bumper from them was awesome. Half down and half before pick-up is the way it should be done. Instead of shipping I decided to drive down to Eddy's shop and pick up the bumper myself. It was awesome to see the shop and meet the people (and dogs). This is why I've placed additional orders with them and will likely do so again in the future.

Them and Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road are great examples of how a small business should operate.

 

Totally, but Warn has the ability to watch what's popular in the market and then make a copy for cheaper at scale. So they wait for the little guy to do the innovation and then they profit from it. In my opinion kinda shitty to me.

For the wheel knockoffs that's small companies copying a big company design. Does that make it better or worse?

Again not saying either is right or wrong, just that some are bothered by it cause they root for the "little guy", and others don't care and just want the cheapest price.

Personally if I were going to get a slimline bumper I would get the SSO one because there's just minor details that make it look slightly better than the rest, but i don't really have any skin in the game cause one of my first concerns is weight so I'm saving for a Dissent aluminum bumper. Now if someone comes out with an aluminum slimline......that would be a game changer for me.

 

Allow me to change the game for you...

https://greenlaneoffroad.com/16-tacoma/tacoma-stump-aluminum-winch-bumper

Based out of BC Canada, so be sure to convert those CAD bucks into freedom Dollars. Not sure how shipping or customs would fare for you, but it might be worth a call/email. They are not active on this forum (as far as I know), so don't post asking about them here.

 

I get the little guy/big guy argument, but most design out there is a rip off of something else. Did sso invent the bull bar or the recovery points that look like everyone elses? Do we go after the countless "little guys" who have similar designs? If sso had the business sense to become a "big guy" would they then be the enemy?

The sso bumper does look better in my opinion. Happy Friday! Not trying to be confrontational.

 

Interdasting.... 45lbs and about $850 US dollars. I think dissent is 65lbs and you have some corner protection too. Thanks for the link! Now I've got some thinking to do.

@Georgia Native i don't disagree with anything you said.

 

I hope nothing really bad or tragic happened to anyone at SSO or their family causing them to check out of responding to a mass of inquiries.
Wouldn't you feel awful if they lost a family member and were overwhelmed with that and having to lay people off because of shutting down from Covid 19?
Maybe they have it.

I don't like waiting for purchases either because I AM a spoiled brat these days. However, I did close my precision machine shop 2 years ago though because it wasn't as easy as people make it sound.
I love my day job with regular paychecks now. I can order all kinds of crap and watch the tracking numbers on my phone instead of stressing the f out trying to please customers who could give a crap less when my business is slow.

All the best TW. Karen too.

 

You think that’s a long wait time? I have to pay more and wait even longer here.

 

**Received this morning**
As a valued customer, we wanted you to be the first to know that since Louisiana has alleviated some of the provisions in the stay-at-home order, our manufacturing team is able to return to work today. We are excited to be back in the shop creating our products for you! Unfortunately, lead times were affected as we were forced to close due to the Governor’s orders in Louisiana; however, we are making all efforts to get back to 100% capacity and are doubling our efforts to catch up on work lost due to the mandatory shutdown.

Most orders will begin to see movement within the next few weeks as we concentrate on the backlog of items. Please check our order tracker for the most up to date information on your order here: https://www.southernstyleoffroad.com/order_tracking/ . Please use your sub-orders when tracking your order, you should click on each sub-order to see where they are in real-time. The main order number may show that’s still processing when in reality the order has progressed. We also do not push through the orders from stage to stage until we have checked the product for quality.